Jewish American & British
Veterans of the Korean War
(June 1950 - July 1953)
by Martin Sugarman
The Jewish Chronicle (JC) of 31.7.53 said there were 4,000 Jewish servicemen and women serving in the Allied Forces in Korea, mostly American (see below).
Served
Abingold, Liverpool –
JC 8/5/53 page 18
Walter Alt , Royal Canadian Corps of Signals,
formerly British Army WW2, born in Austria billeted Merryhill barracks,
Glasgow, and emigrated to Canada after WW2 to serve in Canadian Army
in Korea ( Is he possibly 13120004 Abraham Alt as per AJEX Chaplains’
cards - Pioneer Corps, sister Linda Libenson of Ramat Gan, Israel) -
information from Mr Guest of Bristol who served with him - says Alt
was a judo expert and had War, Defence , Korea and UN medals. To be
clarified, but a Pte Allt is mentioned on pages 125-7 in Jefferson’s
book “Assault on the Guns of Merville” (John Murray, 1987)
as member of the paras. on D Day. This could be the same man
421996 Capt. Isidore
Apter RADC – son of Mr
P – 25a, Thompson St., Barry, Glam. – AJEX
card
22168031 Pte Anthony Babot,
Middx Reg., s. of F Babot, of 174 Chamberlayne Rd, NW10 – JC 23/5/52
Page 32
22759423 Spr. David Back, RE –
son of Mrs Back at 274, Camden Rd NW1 – AJEX card
349943 Major Michael
Arnold Balgon – RA/1st Bat.
Royal Warwicks., 41a, Maresfiled Gdns.,
Hampstead – AJEX card
116515 Sqdn. Ldr.
Cyril Stanley Bamberger, DFC
and bar, RAF (WW2) – Battle of
Britain ace (see “Men of the Battle
of Britain”, K Wynn, London 1999) – RAF
Intelligence Korea – AJEX card – of
Jewish origin.
2430125 Bernard
Bellman RAF - AT Control
From Edgware – also Berlin Airlift
2328455 Harold Gershon Benjamin (now Bennett)
– RCOS – AJEX card and interview – WW2 veteran
of Lofoten islands Commando raid, Iceland, North Africa, - son of H
Benjamin of 42 Banstead Grove, Leeds 8 – later of Lincoln
22943686 Cpl (later Doctor) H Bentley – RAMC – Stanmore- later IDF in 6 Day War
22985360 Pte Aubrey
Bernstein RASC – 128, Hindle
House, Arcola St, Hackney E8- AJEX card
Geoffrey Brice – FAA – HMS
Glory
22611667 Pte Frank
Frederick Carson RAPC – of
47 Parkholme Rd, Dalston, E8 – AJEX
card shows he was in the BAOR and posted
to Korea in 1951 (PRO-RF)
Lt Brian Charig – died
Dec 2006 – JC Obit.
22992559 Pte. Victor
Cohen RAOC – 1st Comm.
Div. – 28, Lime Grove, Hoole, Chester – AJEX
card
14452236 Sgt. Julius
Cohen KSLI – 3, Ribstone
Hse., Morning Lane, Hackney E9 – AJEX
card
David Cohen -
info. from L Keene - no more known.
22493698 Fus. H Cohen 1st bat.
Royal Fusiliers (PRO-RF) – no card
identified
Major Elliot L Cohen,
OBE - CO B Coy. 1st Bat. Royal
Canadian Reg. at Hill 355 (Little Gibraltar)
in Oct 1952, heroically defended against
heavy Chinese tank and infantry attack -
Korean War Official History at IWM Library/
JC 31.10.52 page 24.
22650106 Pte Gerald
Cohen - 1st bat. Royal Fus. -
from London - info. from Feinstein and
AJEX card.
7893184 Tpr. Frank
Cornell RAC – husband of
Mrs T Cornell, 9 Primrose Hill Ct., NW3 – AJEX
card
22937819 Spr. Malcolm
Collins, RE – of 62, Easterley
Rd., Leeds, 8 – AJEX card says
he was posted to Pusan.
S/22637658 L/Cpl
Conrad Percy Drogie, 38/39th platoon
RASC - 19, Wensley Rd,
Kersal, Salford - son of Henry - JC 24.4.53/AJEX
Jewish Chaplains cards. Was involved
in assisting bringing of the dead and
wounded being brought back from the front.
Tom Driberg, MP -
war correspondent.
427856 Capt K Dickinson
RAMC - possible MC - of 54 Portland
Rd., Edgbaston, Birmingham 16 - information
from AJEX Chaplain’s cards and
Colin Ross (below)
RM7021 John Dickson, 45 RM Commando – Woodford
Joseph Dickson, RN – (brother
of John)
22933997 Sgt. Vivian
Dubow, E Troop RCOS of 19th Fld.
Reg. RA – AJEX card – of
30 Winchester Ave., Penylan, Cardiff
ZD10253 Capt. Graham
Gershon Dixon ,Canadian Royal 22nd Reg.,
Infantry; regular soldier for 16 years
born 29.1.31 Montreal, enlisted as a
Pte 1948 - personal letter.
Act. Sgt 23093366
Howard Peter Ellerman C Coy. RAMC,
Dec 1954-Dec 1956 Japan and Korea - personal
talk and AJEX Jewish Chaplains cards.
Of 1, Empire Mansions Mare St, Hackney
E8.
22860834 Pte Alfred
Ellis, Royal Irish Fus, to 1st
bat. Commonwealth Div. - son of D J Ellis,
7, Morval Rd., Brixton SW2 - AJEX Index
cards.
433532 Capt. Henry
Engelsman, RADC – 22 Ballogie
Ave, NW10 – AJEX card
D/SKX 879823, J. Feldman, RN
22650111 Fus. Jack Feinstein – a bren gunner
1st Bat., D Coy, 12 Platoon, 3 Section, Royal Fus. - served
at battles of Inchon, The Hook (with the Duke of Wellington’s
Reg.), Hill 355 (with US forces) - from Amhurst Rd., Hackney (AJEX card).
After a night patrol and ambush of enemy troops, his platoon returned
for hot soup served by cook Fus. Harold Weinberg.
2239370 Pte Samuel
Fineberg - (AJEX card) – 29th Fld.
Ambulance RAMC , son of Mrs S Fineberg
of 10, Bellot St., Cheetham, Manchester.
Sgt Alec “Moishe” Freedman, b.
20.11.28 in Stepney - Middlesex/ B Coy.1st
Bat. Leicestershires - Battle of Italy Hill
(Hill 317) - Resident at Royal Hospital
Chelsea - personal interview. The Leicesters
attacked 317 on the night of Nov 6th 1951
but were not successful, taking heavy casualties.
Personal interview and photo AJEX museum.
Fus. 22594482 A Goldstein – PRO-RF – no
AJEX card found
22650113 Fus. E.
Teddy Greenbaum - 1st Bat Royal
Fus. - London - info. from Feinstein
and AJEX card.
Gilmour/Gilmore aka
Ginsburg/Ginsberg – RADC – information
from L Keene.
23022452 Pte Bertram
Gabriel – RAOC - AJEX card
41, Rutherglen Rd, Glasgow 5 -
1954 Korea and Japan.
T22911049 Dvr. Sidney
Hearne, RASC – info. from
Kosmin below – of 73 Brune Hse.,
Toynbee St., E1 – AJEX card.
22868160 Pte Dennis
Herman RAOC – of 21 Leadale
rd, Clapton N15 – AJEX card
22361530/414377 Major
Bernard Arthur Isaacs, aka Irvine MC,
MiD twice, US Citation – KRRC/
1st bat. KSLI/ 1st bat.
Royal Fusiliers - personal call – said
15% of the City of London RF were Jews
and he personally was present at the
burial of many. Vol. 1948 aged 17 years
for 21 years service; Sandhurst; RF att.
Middx. and Glos. Regts. - then US 5th Cavalry
liason officer. WIA and POW reported
believed kia. Escaped with 10 others
and only 3 survived - rescued General
McArthur’s son and General gave
him a gold rolex watch as reward. Was
recommended for a VC in the same
action with Speakman, VC - but given
MC instead. On return to UK was not expected
to live due to malaria but grandfather
doctor (paediatrician to Royal family)
got him into Hospital for Tropical diseases
and he survived; later gave a talk to
the Liberal Jewish Synagogue where he
met his wife. AJEX card says father was
G H Isaacs of 49, The Ridgeway, Golders
Green.
Major Jaffee OBE – Canadian
Forces
2435534 Sgt Stanley Katz, RAF Bomb Disposal, 42 Group
413358/2234477 Lt Michael S Kisch 2nd Fld. RE – son of Mrs R of 2, Kensington Ct., First Ave.,
Hove – AJEX card
22943980 Pte Gerald
Emmanuel Kosmin, Royal Signals
radio mechanic – 68, Holders Hill
Drive, NW4 – AJEX card.
23171332 Pte Leon
Keene, 1st bat. Royal Sussex
Reg. and ACC of 15, Manor Hall Ave.,
Hendon NW4. AJEX card and personal call.
Knew the USA Jewish Chaplain Chaim Potok,
later a famous writer.
Col Alfred G Katzin
of South Africa, personal representative
of UN Sec. Gen Trygvie Lee (JC 21.7.50).
S/22451246 Cpl Barry
Karsberg - RASC/Royal West Kent
Reg. - of 402, London Rd.,North Cheam,
Surrey, son of E Karsberg - sailed on
HMT Empire Pride to Japan and Korea -
JC 17.10.52 page 13 and AJEX Jewish Chaplains
cards.
22493234 Cpl. Lionel
Krimholtz – RAOC (now Kaye) – Base
Ammunition Depot, Zong Zang , nr Pusan – 149,
Grundy St, Poplar – AJEX card
Pte, formerly S/Sgt
WW2 6631255, RCOS, Godfrey Langdon,
of Perrin Rd, London,W3, fought with
RA at Imijin River supporting the Glosters.
Recommended for MiD. Telephone call and
correspondence from nephew Julian Lewis.
He was one of 4 brothers who were
in the TA and fought all through WW2
(including France and North Africa),
and father in WW1 - photos at AJEX museum
and Jewish Chaplains cards.
Lt Michael George Levy – Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry D Coy., 10th Platoon –
“Strange Battleground – Official History of Canadians in
Korea” , H F Wood p77, Canadian Min. of Defence, 1966. Also, he
was formerly SOE Force 136 Malaya against Japanese 1944-45 and MiD for
courage.
1485439 Acting Sgt
H Levy - RWK att. RF WIA
27.6.53 - from “Casualties Sustained
by the British Army in the Korean War” (CSBAKW)
p.18. Unable to locate AJEX card – on
PRO-RF roll.
Lt A Levy – from
Istanbul, ADC to Commanding Officer of Turkish
Brigade (from Jewish Chaplain Bulletin
of the USAC, July 1953.
S/227443822 Pte Leon
Lehrer RASC – Ajex card – of
30d, Greencroft gardens, NW6
Capt George Benjamin Lipawasky,
SAAF, DFC – shot down but survived.
Barry Lobell – not real name –
POW of the Chinese – mentioned in article of Finchley Synagogue
magazine Aug. 2001- refused to divulge any further information.
22307199 Pte Maurice
Martin Mazin - RAOC – 1st Comm.
Div. – son of Mrs E – 122,
Clapton Common, E5 – AJEX card
22318551 Spr. Jonathan
Ellis Manasseh – RE – son
of E S . Manasseh, 57 Camden Hill
Rd, W8 – AJEX card
21127179 Pte D. Marks MIA/POW
26.4.51 - Glos. Reg. - from “POW’s
of The British Army in Korea 1950-53” by
P Gaston, page 16 - AJEX Chaplain’s
card not found.
Pte D H Marks -
Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding)
Reg. - WIA 6.6.53 - (CSBAKW p.50) – AJEX
card not located.
Lt Col. R L Marks – 26th Field
Ambulance RAMC – no AJEX card located
22559891 L/Cpl. H
Miller – BAOR posted
to Korea on PRO-RF roll – AJEX
card.
Col. E C Wolf Myers -
Engineers - MiD for gallantry Jan to June
1952 - JC 17.10 52 page 13 - a highly decorated
regular officer who served at Arnhem and
in SOE in Yugoslavia in WW2. See Arnhem archive
at AJEX Museum. Died in 1997.
2201375 Lou Myers b.26.10.27
Shoreditch – WW2 Royal Marines in North
Africa, Combined Operations/SAS; Israel Machal
1948-50; Korea 1950-52 – personal interview.
22541117 Cpl. Solly
Myerthall – RASC – son
of Mrs J., 5, Prestonfield Gdns., Edinburgh,
9 – AJEX card
22859663 Sgt. Eric
Jack Orbaum RASC – son
of F., 2, Norfolk rd., Leeds, 7 – AJEX
card
22576845 Pte Morris
Ottolangui - ACC attached
RF, D Coy, 1st Bat. – son
of Julia of Wistaria Hse., 42, Huntingdon
St., St. Neots, Hunts. – PRO-RF
roll and AJEX card
Pte Peter Phillips,
R Fus – (info. Alan Shaffer)
22929428 L/Cpl. Sam
Phillips, RAMC 26th Field
Ambulance , b. 7/8/34 in East End and
evacuated to 13 Abbotts Way Northampton
- served Japan and 9 months in Korea,
British and Commonwealth Communications
Zone Medical Unit - UN Korea Medal -
personal call/AJEX Jewish Chaplain’s
cards.
Pte Joe Rairu, R
Fus. – (info. Alan Shaffer)
22616095 Cftsmn.
Louis Rapaport REME and
1st bat. DLI – from
586 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester 20 - AJEX
card.
FX584695 Petty Officer
John “Jack” Renack, Fleet
Air Arm, from Cable Street (51 Canon
St. Rd.) – WW2 comrade of Emmanuel
Penner with whom he served – personal
interview – AJEX card.
22943905 Acting Sgt.
Issy Rondell aka Reynolds – 29th Brigade,
RA – met on AJEX Parade Nov. 2001-
born 11/8/35 in Kalisch, Poland and survived
Nazi death camps. Lived at 121 Old Montague
St, E1. In UK he joined the army and
was posted to Korea in RA and then a
special airborne unit owing to
his language abilities in Polish, Russian
etc – AJEX card.
22895132 Sgt Harold
Colin Ross, 26th Field Ambulance,
1st Commonwealth Div., section commander
Battle of The Hook, and Stand of the
Gloucesters, many of whose casualties
as well as North Koreans, came through
his RAP. Remembers the American Jewish
Chaplain clearly. Letter and call to
author. Born Sunderland 11.7.31, 25 Whitburn
Bents Rd, Seaburn - AJEX Chaplain’s
card/photo.
22508074 Fus. A.
Shaffer 1st Bat.
Royal Fusiliers - BAOR, posted
to Korea – PRO-RF roll and AJEX
card.
22928876 Stanley
Share - 15th Coy. RASC - of 13
Hazon Way, Epsom, Surrey - Ajex card.
14472846 Intelligence
Sgt (later Major) David Sharp, BEM;
born Hackney 12.1.28 and Barmitzvah at
Singers Hills synagogue, Birmingham.
Formerly Malay Scouts, then HQ 29th
Indep. Infantry Brigade Group att. 1st
bat. Royal Northumb. Fus.; in Korea at
time of capture was with UN Partisan
Forces behind the lines - last and 946th
POW to be released in Sept. 1953 aged
25 years, son of Mr and Mrs Harry Sharp
- AJEX Jewish Chaplains cards, AJEX Museum.
Volunteered Sept. 1945 as a regular in
Malaya. Captured at Imjin River 25.4.51,
three times wounded. From 1, Moorcroft
Rd, Moseley, Birmingham - in JC 13.4.53/Nov
1953/D.Express 7.9.53. Awarded BEM (Military)
for “gallant and distinguished
services whilst a POW in Korea” and
US Gallantry Award. Made several attempts
to escape and was in fact engaged on
an escape near the end of his captivity.
Was incarcerated in the notorious “wooden
boxes” and gave up the chance of
a GC award because as senior NCO, he
recommended a comrade, Fus. Derek Kinne,
in his stead. Arrived home on troopship “Dilwara” at
Southampton. WIA/MIA and beaten badly
by guards; charged as a war criminal
because he refused to give information.
Now a Major (retd.) David was CO of the
16th Indep Paras. Is today
trainer of Special Forces and Govt. Agencies
especially in Africa. Personal letter
and interview. Never married.
22387810 Gunner Neville
Silver, RA - from 762, Mansfield
Rd, Nottingham - Hong Kong and Korea
- AJEX Jewish Chaplains cards and letter.
Served Dec 1951-Apl 1952, 14/24th battery
61st Light Reg of RA sound ranging (ie
locating position of enemy guns) - AJEX
Chaplain’s cards/photo.
22700971 Pte Phillip
M. Silver, RASC – son of
M Silver, 19, Terrace Rd, Liverpool,
16 – Ajex card
23179534 Pte Arnold
M Schwartzman, 1st bat. Royal
Sussex Reg and RAEC - parents of the
Hotel Majestic, Lewis Cres., Cliftonville
- AJEX card and call from Keene (above).
Now lives in Los Angeles.
2258037 Fus. Maurice
Solomon – 105 Lewis Flats,
Dalston, Hackney, E8 – BAOR, posted
to Korea – PRO-RF and AJEX card.
23271186 Pte Eddie
Sonsky, 1st bat. Royal Sussex
Reg., of 92, Eric St, Mile End E3. AJEX
card and call from Keene (above).
22409862 Fus. Ivan
Steinberg, Royal Ulster Rifles/R Irish
Fus. – son of M Steinberg,
398, Bancroft Rd, E1 – Ajex card
Lady Sybil Summers
of Biggin – ATS/Army – St
John’s Wood
23136318 Pte Joel
Sylvester RASC – 22 Meadway,
Welwyn garden City – AJEX card
22521609 Spr.
R L Szapira, RE – 55 Field
Sqdn. - AJEX card
22622159 Fus. Michael
Micky Taylor - info. from Feinstein
- B Coy 1st bat. RF - AJEX card - son
of A Taylor of 44, Hadford Rd, NW11.
Lt Cmdr. Alan Tyler
RN - b. 1924 London, served
WW2 and worldwide postwar including Malaya
and was in Korea at time of fighting
and armistice, with HMS Birmingham. See
autobiography “Cheerful and Contented” Book
Guild, 2000 – AJEX card and interview.
22244052 Sgt.
R Wainstein – APTC att.
RF – PRO-RF but AJEX card
not located.
22622146 Fus. Harold
Weinberg - 1st bat. RF - see
Feinstein above, of 7, Cookham
Bldgs., Old Nichol St.,Bethnal Green,
E2 – AJEX card.
22486122/421197 Lt.
Michael Wolff – platoon
2, C Coy., 1st bat. RF – PRO-RF
roll and AJEX card
23081754 L/Cpl Norman
Zetter RAOC att. S Staffs Reg. – s.
of Mark Zetter, 10, Headleigh Rd, Westcliffe-on-Sea,
Essex – AJEX card and interview.
Unidentified Jewish
member of KOSB, 1st bat., A Coy,
from London, was Coy. Clerk KIA in Korea
- had previously served Palestine and
Hong Kong - info. from comrade Leonard
Jones
Killed in Action
414788 Lt Andrew Albrecht,
RIDG – kia 20/6/52 – b. Pusan grave 22-4-1450
Lt Joseph Yehudi Levison - Princess
Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry - KIA 20.5.51 at Munsan 7 miles
south of Panmanjon - Canadian Book of Remembrance, Korean War and photo
of grave donated by Grp. Capt. Simon Coy, Military attache British Embassy
in Seoul.
2277176 Cpl Barnett Lipschild,
RE – b. Nkano Northern Rhodesia 23/4/31 – kia 13/5/53 b.
Pusan with no religious symbol, grave 39-83-399
22290920 Cpl Montague Ritterband, B Coy. 1st
Bat. KSLI/ formerly 14422233 2nd Bat. The Rifle Brigade/attatched
Army Air Corps, in WW2 - son of Marcuse/Martin R. of Northampton
(owned a philatelist shop in 226, Wellingborough Road), brother
of Daniel Ritterband of 30 Fairways, Brighton, 5 - re-enlisted
29.12.49 - arrived Korea 4.9.51, notified in JC 7.12.51 that he was
KIA 17.11.51 aged 26 years AJEX Chaplains Index Cards. Army casualty
office confirms burial at UN Memorial Cemetery, Pusan, South Korea,
Plot 23, Row 6, grave 1616. Name inscribed on War Memorial in Abington
Sq., Northampton, 1998. Montague joined the Home Guard aged 15
years during WW2, then the Belgian and Norwegian Merchant Navies, joining
the army at 17.5 years and eventually joining the Paras, serving in
Belgium, Holland, Germany, Sumatra, Thailand and Malaysia, making at
least 8 operational jumps in WW2. De-mobbed in 1946, he fought in the
Israeli War of Independence and then he re-joined the army and was KIA
in Korea just when he was due for leave. Letter from Brother and Sister
in law Betty. Decorations include 1939-45, France & Germ, War Medal,
General Service SE Asia 1945-46, Gen Service Palestine 1945-48, Korean
Medal, UN Korean Medal, on permanent loan to AJEX museum.Photo at museum.
370959 Lt G “Gus” Sander/Saunders,
commander of 6th platoon, B Company,
Middx. Reg - MiD - KIA
30.10.50 during an attack on the village
of TAE-DONG near Chongju. Padre “Guz” Jones
conducted the burial service in a small
glade of trees with members of his platoon
and other officers. His body was never
repatriated and his name is commemorated
on the memorial to those with no known
graves at PUSAN WG Cemetery. However,
a body repatriated from North Korea in
1997 MAY be his and identification is
awaited. Gus served at Arnhem in 1944
in Intelligence/RAMC(?), a Jewish German/Austrian/Belgian(?) refugee.
Letter from Middx. OCA historian, Dan
Barrett, and Peter Davis TD who served
with him in OCTU after WW2. Photo at
Museum and of his memorial donated by
Grp. Capt. Simon Coy , Military attache
at the British Embassy in Seoul.
Two un-named Hungarian
Jews serving as medical orderlies with
the Allies - KIA JC 7.12.51
- several Hungarian Jewish doctors and
orderlies were serving in Korea as an
option to internment in labour camps
which Jews were being sent to in Hungary
as part of a general anti-Semitic policy
in that country.
USA Servicemen
(Much information comes
from the publication “Jewish War Veterans
of the USA - 100 Years of Service” Turner
Press 1996, USA)
Infantry Capt. Bernard
W Abrams - WW2 vet, WIA Korea, Silver Star,
Bronze Star, PH, OLC.
USN seaman Robert M Alpert
- USS Hornet
Meyer P Avers - Army
Lt Ira M Abelow - WW2 vet.
and Chemical warfare
Master Sgt Hymie Arnesty
- WW2 vet, Bronze Star.
Lt Edward Alpern, F-80
pilot flew 76 combat missions - DFC, Bronze Star,
Air Medal and 6 Oak Leaf Clusters - MIA believed
KIA. - JC 15.8.52 page 11.
Pte Paul Braverman - aged
20 years 2nd US Infantry Div. - first US
Jewish casualty (JC 4.8.50).
LTC Harold T Bartell -
Bronze Star
Capt Irving O Barker -
WW2 vet - CO A Coy 9th Infantry.
Sgt. Bernard Becker - USAAF
Sgt Henry W Becker - WW2
vet. - 23rd reg, 2nd Div - Bronze Star.
Pte Bernard Berman - Lakewood
NJ - first Jewish POW released JC 21.8.53
- said 3 Jewish US men died as POW’s.
Pte Milton Backal - G Coy.
27th Inf.
Ronald Blumberg - battles
of Christmas Hill, N Korea - Bronze Star.
Sgt Irwin Zabusky Braun HQ
Coy 32nd Reg, 7th Div. - Combat
Badge, Army Commend., - Battle of Triangle
Hill.
.Major Abraham R Baum,
USAAF - WW2 vet.
Zachariah Bloomfield -
55th QM Div.
Cpl A M Blobstein - Czech
Holocausr survivor - JC 24.4.53
Harry Z Bornstein
Capt Richard L. Cohen -
from Philadelphia when 2 coys.
of the 1st Cav Div were cut off for 3 days,
Cohen radioed for help and this was picked
up by Pte Herbert Lubelski (of Brooklyn),
in American lines, resulting in rescue. Cohen
won the Bronze and Silver Stars and 3 Oak
Leaf Clusters; both men were WIA later.
Pte Manuel Castlewitz of
Philadelphia - released POW JC 4.9.53
Pte Harry Dresner, aged
20 yrs of Philadelphia - WIA - chosen as
Soldier of the year in Houston, Texas. -
JC 9.3.51.
Capt Sydney Esenstein -
medical POW from Minn. - released in JC 18.9.53
USN seaman Harvey S.Friedman
- JWV p. 75/94
PFC Sidney Farkas - Czech
Holocaust survivor - JC 24.4.53
Col Melvin Garten - wounded
4 times in WW2 - Capt of K Coy 312th
Infantry, he assisted besieged troops on
30.10.52 near Surang-Ni by leading the storming
of the enemy trenches with his men - awarded
the DSC and later lost his leg in Viet-Nam.
JWV page 73.
Capt Stanley Garten - recommended
for CMH - JC 10.4.53
Infantryman Lawrence Goldstein
- posthumous DSC - from New York - given
at Battle of Heartbreak Ridge for bravery
- WIA/KIA JC 29.8.52 page 24.
Martin Greenberg - JWV
p. 75
Edwin Goldwasser - JWV
page 94.
Cpl Abraham Geller - son
of an Orthodox Rabbi from Lower East Side
New York - day after Yom Kippor Oct 1950
on the Han River, he was wounded in the stomach
3 times whilst protecting his CO , Lt George
O’Connor, during a Korean ambush;
he killed the enemy with his bayonet. His
life was probably saved by his fasting the
day before. JWV pp72-3
Major Joseph I. Gurfein
- West Point graduate from Brooklyn - WW2
veteran para. engineer - when a mine injured
several of his men, he skilfully re-organised
his company in freezing conditions and routed
the enemy - Silver Star - “Jewish War
Veterans of the USA” pub. 1996 by Turner
Press - page 72, and JC 15.8.52 page 11.
Marvin Kopelman aged 19
yrs of Brooklyn, a second Silver Star for
destroying N Korean tanks after being wounded
- (JC 25.8.50).
Alexander Kreizer of Danbury
Conn - WW2 veteran -released POW JC 4.9.53
- survived the death march to the Yalu river
in Feb 1951.
Pte Carl W. Kirchenhausen
aged 26 yrs, from Brroklyn - POW 1951, released
JC 24.4.53.
Arthur Levin of Brooklyn
- KIA - JC 15.8.52 page 11.
F-80 Pilot Lt Leonard Levin
- guided damaged plane of comrade back to
base - JC 15.8.52 - page 11.
Pte Herbert Lubelski -
see Richard Cohen above.
US Army Chaplain Rabbi
Oscar M Lifschutz, Bronze Star for “meritorious
service in the face of enemy action” after
I year in Korea with 2nd US Inf. Div. (JC
18.5.51).
Max Michiel of NY - aged
24 years died as a POW - JC 4.9.53.
Capt Vivian Moses, Marines,
Fort Sumter S. Carol, 1st Jewish Marine Officer
KIA - nephew of Gen. E F Moses of San Diego
- JC 25.8.50.
US Jewish Chaplains Rabbis
Meyer Goldman, Joseph B. Messing, (JC 4.8.51),
Gerson Goodman (Marines), Milton Rosen, and
Veda and Rickel, and Barish (JC 24.4.53),
Goldberg (JC 31/7/53), Murray Rothman (JC
4.9.53 - received first Jewish POW’s).
Cpl Sydney Oehl of Brooklyn,
aged 22 years - first Jewish Marine to be
released as a POW - JC 4.9.53
Ralph Plofsky - JWV page
92
USAAF Capt Paul Ribner
- JWV p. 93
Tibor Rubin - Hungarian
Holocaust survivor - after a battefront act
of bravery, his officer failed to comend
him for a decoration, some say due to anti-Semitism.
Oct 1950, was WIA and POW at Unsan by the
Chinese and spent 2.5 years in prison. He
was offered repatriation to Hungary but refused
to leave his comrades, over 30 of whose lives
he saved whilst a POW. When released he smuggled
out the names of POW’s in his wounded
leg plaster cast.Efforts by his POW comrades
to get him his award have failed - JWV page
73.
USN Capt. Harris B Stone
- WW2 vet. - JWV p. 93
War Correspondent Stephen
Schimanski KAS in a plane crash working for
Picture Post and “The Guardian” -
JC 11.8.50.
(JC of 16.11.51 states
that 127 Jewish Chaplains were serving world-wide
with USA Forces which contained up to 200,000
US Jews. THE LIST OF USA JEWS IN KOREA IS
MASSIVE AND THE LIST ENDS HERE AT THE LETTER
B ONLY!! FOR FURTHER NAMES SEE THE JWV BOOK
MENTIONED ABOVE)
Sources: Martin Sugerman, Reprinted with Permission
* Author is Archivist, British Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women - AJEX�- Jewish Military Museum, London
Note from Author: For help in compiling this list I would like to thank Sidney Goldberg, Vice -Chair of AJEX, and Henry Morris, AJEX Museum Curator, for all their encouragement. I would also like to especially thank the many veterans and their families, Jewish and non-Jewish, who wrote to me from all over the world - including Canada, the USA and Israel - with information. Without their assistance the work could never have been started.
As with all such studies this list will always be incomplete. Information can only come from surviving veterans who make themselves known through appeals in Korean War veterans journals and other magazines and journals. I placed appeals in the AJEX Journal, The Jewish Chronicle, Korean War Veterans groups journals, the British Legion Journal and other related publications.
Major Isaacs (see below) testified to the author that there were many Jewish servicemen serving with him among the Royal Fusiliers in Korea and several killed whom he helped to bury. We both concluded that they must have attested as CofE and/or changed their names on being called up for National Service as records of burials and other rolls or casualty lists reveal very few Jewish names. We will thus never really know the full extent of the Jewish community's contribution. However, by scanning the War Diaries of the Royal Fusiliers at the PRO, I discovered many names cross referenced with the AJEX Jewish Chaplains cards, of Jewish lads who served (indicated as PRO-RF in the text). We also know that not all the AJEX cards are complete and hence it is always the case that some veterans cards cannot be found. |